Grab bucket



Dec. 22, 1942.

E. W. TAYLOR GRAB BUCKET Dec. 22, 1942. w TAYLOR 2,306,004

GRAB BUCKET BY fflnsf Egg/0i.

Dec. 22, 1942. j E. w. TAYLOR 2,306,004

' GRAB BUCKET Filed April 3, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 ,LZ 5 I 5': -."'...b

:i ,l 1| 5i INVENTOR.

' ATTY.

Patented Dec. 22, 1942 GRAB BUCKET Ernest W. Taylor, Bay City, Mich., assignor to Industrial Brownhoist Corporation, Bay City, Mich, a corporation of Ohio Application April 3, 1941, Serial No. 386,588

1 Claim.

This invention relates to hoisting buckets such as clam shell or other type of grab buckets, and particularly to buckets of large capacity.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to provide an improved means for guiding, aligning, and centering the crosshead as the spade arms are opened and closed.

Another object is to design a bucket in which the crosshead guide means does not extend below the lower extremity of the movement of the hinges, and in which the conventional nose plate is eliminated, thereby facilitating the loading and closing of the bucket and permitting the scoops to swing laterally to a limited extent when the scoops are in widespread position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bucket which is light in weight, simple in construction, and in which the supporting links are so disposed that the scoops perform a digging rather than a scraping movement.

Further details of the construction and advantages thereof will be apparent during the course of the following description which refers to the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the bucket in closed position, the broken lines showing the scoops spread;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view showing the crosshead guide and track; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the crosshead and guide.

The conventional bucket of the class described includes the usual nose plate which depends from the bucket superstructure so that when the bucket is dropped on a pile of material to be hoisted, the impact or shock on the nose plate often damages the bucket, shell and operating parts, and has been the source of much trouble and expense in the maintenance of large capacity buckets; furthermore, the crosshead guide tracks extend below the pivotal point of connection of the links so that the crosshead and track extend into the material and become clogged therewith; and in the instant design, these disadvantages have been eliminated, making for improved operation, minimum maintenance and more economical construction and manufacture.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the bucket comprises, generally, a supporting main frame or superstructure H) which is preferably a fabricated plate structure including side and end plates II and I2 respectively, which are welded or otherwise suitably secured together, stiffening members l3 being provided on the corners and corner plates [4 provided as shown.

A head frame I5 is mounted on the upper end of the supporting frame and is provided with rope guards l6 as usual, and an anchorage I1 is provided on the frame and to which the conventional holding line (not shown) is anchored in the conventional manner.

A head block I9 is secured in the upper portion of the frame i5 and is provided with sheaves 20 as usual, and I do not deem it necessary to show and describe this in detail as the present invention does not concern the bucket closing, lifting, or operating ropes in particular.

Cooperating scoops 2| and 22 respectively, have spade arms or plates 23 extending inwardly and upwardly from each side thereof, the upper ends of the arms being pivotally mounted on hinge pins 24 which are mounted in the crosshead 25, these spade arms terminating in or having secured thereto a pair of intermeshing gear racks 26, thus insuring related angular movement of the scoops.

Links 21 have their one end pivotally connected to the comers of the bucket frame at the points 28, the opposite ends of said links being pivotally connected to the spade arms at the point 29 so that the spade arms swing about the points 28 as the bucket is operated.

The crosshead includes a pair of end castings 29, each casting having a centrally disposed, laterally projecting pin 30 mounted therein at the extreme upper end thereof and on which a channel-shaped slider guide or shoe 3| is pivotally mounted, each guide engaging a track 32 provided on the side walls of the bucket frame so that the crosshead can be accurately and evenly guided, a stop 33 being provided at the lower end of the guide for limiting the downward travel sheaves and upwardly through the rope guards 36 as usual.

The operation of the bucket will now be explained. With the scoops in extreme outspread position as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, and the crosshead 25 at the lower extremity of its path of travel, the bucket being suspended on the holding lines I8, and the closing lines 31 being slack, under these conditions the scoops and the crosshead may swing laterally to a limited extent relative to the main frame l0 when the bucket is set down, and the holding lines l8 slackened so that the weight is all supported on the cutting edges of the scoops.

After the bucket has been deposited with its scoops outspread on the material to be hoisted, the closing lines 31 are taken in when it is desired to close the bucket to lift the load of material. This lifting action brings the crosshead and scoops into perfect alignment and the bucket is then handled in the conventional manner,

From the foregoing description it will be clearly obvious that I have perfected a simple, practical, and economical bucket in which changes In a grab bucket, a main frame, links pivoted to opposite sides of said frame near the lower edge thereof, a pair of scoops including spade arms, each link being pivotally connected to one of said scoops, an elongated crosshead to which the upper ends of said spade arms are pivotally connected at a point adjacent the lower end thereof, guides mounted on the side walls of the main frame and terminating at a point substantially in alignment with the link connections to the main frame, slider shoes pivotally mounted on the extreme upper ends of the crosshead and having slidable engagement with said guides for permitting considerable lateral swinging movement of the scoops, as a unit, when the scoops are in extreme extended position and stops for limiting the downward travel of said crosshead.

ERNEST W. TAYLOR. 

